Cadres & Entities (Soul Groups)

By VARIOUS AUTHORS

Learn About Your Soul Groups and Soul Family

A cadre is a soul group of about seven thousand souls. It is divided into seven entities of about a thousand souls each. Each person is a member of an entity and its cadre, sometimes called a soul family. A cadre contains essences of all seven roles (or soul types), but within an individual entity, two to four roles are usually represented. Other members of our entity could be likened to our brothers and sisters, while members of other entities of our cadre could be compared to our first cousins, or our peers in the local community.

Here are some quick definitions of the moving parts that comprise a soul group or greater soul families:

Fragment: Individual essence, or soul. The term conveys that each of us is a fragment of the whole, and particularly, a fragment of our entity, with which we will recombine when we have completed all our lifetimes on the physical plane.

Essence: Soul, or "higher" self, in distinction to the outer personality, or "lower" self. It generally refers to all nonphysical levels of self, including the astral and causal selves, as well as those that resonate with the three highest planes, although it can be used to refer only to the latter. Read more about essence.

Roles: One of the seven types of essences: server, priest, artisan, sage, warrior, king, and scholar. Everyone has a particular soul type. It defines the individual's way of being or fundamental style, not his worldly position.

Entity: Usually refers to a "spiritual family" of about one thousand souls. Michael is the name of one entity.

Cadence: A permanent grouping of seven essences. A primary cadence consists of seven essences of the same role; it is the smallest "building block" of the entity. An essence's numerical position within his cadence, and his cadence's position within his greater cadence, significantly influence how he directs his energies.

Greater Cadence: A unit of seven primary cadences.

Casting: The Tao's expression into the dimensional universe, as in "fragments cast from the Tao," and the order of it, as in "first-cast warrior in the entity." A person's casting is his position within his entity (see "Entity"), or commonly, just his primary cadence position (see "Cadence").

Cadre: A unit consisting of seven entities (roughly 7000 souls each). (See also "Entity.")

Cadre Group: (sometimes called Energy Ring) Twelve cadres make up what Michael calls a cadre group.

Greater Cadre Group: Seven cadre groups make up a greater cadre group.

Shepherd Hoodwin

 

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Cadres & Entities (Soul Groups/Family) | Two Casting Systems | Essence Casting | Incarnational Casting |
Channeling About the Two Casting Systems | Different Cadre Numbering | More Articles

 

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Cadres, Entities, and Michael Casting (A Quick Overview)

Understanding the structure of the soul groups and extended spiritual families may seem daunting when first encountered, so the following analogy is offered to help explain the numbers using more conventional imagery.

Think of the TAO (or All That Is) as a major airline company. Let's call it TAO Airways.

In this scenario, the tickets are paid for, compliments of the Tao. The destination of the airline -- LIFE.

Now TAO Airways is an enormously successful company and they house their fleet of planes in airport hangars across the world. To illustrate this in Michael terms, twelve hangars operating together are called a CADRE GROUP.

Taking this further, think of an individual hangar as a CADRE. There are twelve cadres in a group. Within the cadre (or hangar) there are seven airplanes -- and each plane is an ENTITY.

TAO Airways flies jumbo jetliners (or ENTITIES) that can hold a thousand passengers (more or less). Each passenger is known as an ESSENCE (or soul).

Inside the plane (or ENTITY) there are three sections of seats. In each row there are seven seats and a row is called a CADENCE. A cadence is a grouping of seven identical roles (or passengers). If you grouped these rows into a segment of 49 seats that would be called a GREATER CADENCE (a block of seven cadences).

Like most airlines, there is assigned seating. Each passenger (or ESSENCE) is boarded in groups that correspond to their ROLE (or the individual soul type). In other words, servers, artisans, etc, will sit on the plane together in groups.

All of the seven roles do not necessarily board the plane (or ENTITY) -- some planes may only hold a couple role groups (such as warriors and kings) -- but the seats in each row of seven (a CADENCE) are like stand-ins for the roles, starting with server (seat one), artisan (seat two), warrior (seat three), scholar (seat four), sage (seat five), priest (seat six), and king (seat seven). This is called the CADENCE (or casting) position. For example, if a passenger sits in the 5th seat, that is the sage position and the passenger would be sage cast; a passenger in the 2nd seat would be artisan cast, and so on.

The individual seat number of a passenger (or essence) known as the CADENCE POSITION provides the exact location of a passenger in the plane (or ENTITY). Where a passenger sits -- in the three sections (or sides) of the plane -- determines if the passenger (or ESSENCE) is in the truth, love, or beauty side (or orientation) of the ENTITY.

Occasionally a plane (ENTITY) may be boarded by those who weren't assigned a seat. Those souls are called WILD CARDS -- or stowaways, in airline terms. Although, this last item is only relevant to a type of casting that uses raw numbers.

Energetic Vibrations

Since the astral is most likely a 4th-dimensional space and a row (or cadence) as we know it may not even exist in ways that could be described from a physical plane perspective, understand that these structures are not meant to mimic the actual reality of an entity on the astral plane. They're just illustrations for the sake of convenience. 

Another way to describe the energetic vibrations of an entity is an illustration that paints vibrations as multi-colored marbles in a glass jar.

At first, the individually colored marbles are perfectly ordered in the jar to line up according to cadences, etc. Then someone violently shakes the jar and mixes up the order so that it appears random. But all marbles from a specific cadence are of a similar color (or vibration) which connects them as a whole. Adjacent cadences, for example, would also be of similar color but show a slightly different hue, which helps define them.

Now turn the jar upside down and all the marbles would spill out into the world, rolling in every possible direction. But the marbles could eventually be recollected and reassembled in the proper order, by means of their colors (or vibrations).

The significance of this analogy is to point out that the various descriptions of entities are three-dimensional models. They're purely theoretical. The fragments designated to the sides of an entity, for instance, are likely scattered all over the place, but they're oriented vibrationally. That's what groups them together, not their actual location. 

Take the Tao. It permeates everything; we're all made of Tao-stuff. Just like our physical bodies are all made of star-stuff. The atoms contained within us are from a distant star that once exploded somewhere in the Universe. But this whole containment thing is just a physical plane construct. We don't know anything else. In this world, matter must be held together to seem real. We can't wrap our brains around anything different. But the spirit world doesn't work the same way. 

The Spirit World is Ordered Through Vibrations

Souls in groups aren't crammed together in one spatial location. They're connected energetically. Graphs and analogies are used to make sense of it all, but it's not a depiction of reality in those dimensions of existence beyond the physical. Members of an entity, for instance, can be separated by great distances (if you could actually measure that in the spirit realms) and unlike the physical, are not connected by proximity or a location in a single body, but through a likeness of vibration.

Think of the musical notes in a scale, for instance, C D E F G A B -- or perhaps use solfège (do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti).

To illustrate, one group of souls (an entity), may vibrate at the frequency of the note C, with each soul in the group that resonates with C, a slight gradation of that note's vibration and frequency. In short, similar enough in vibration to be in the same family, but still distinct. Another group of souls, for example, may share the frequency of the second note in the same musical scale, namely, D. Taking this further, this scale (and the souls that resonate with the individual notes in the scale), are housed in a cadre. As mentioned before, there are seven soul groups (or entities) in a cadre, and in this analogy, the cadre resonates with all of the notes (or entities) in a particular scale. They could be thought of as in the same key and therefore have a homogeneous vibration due to their shared tonality.

Lets take our C major scale, for example. Entity one is the note, C; Entity two is D; Entity three is E, and so on. This tonality (or key) that's associated with the C major scale -- called a key signature in music -- could be thought of as the same kind of organizing principle that connects the souls in these groups together. They are all in the same key, so to speak.

The twelve cadres housed in a greater cadre (or ring) could then be said to correspond with the twelve-note chromatic scale. Figuratively speaking, of course.

The Michael Entity (through me) offered the following:

Like the marble analogy devised by our channel, an entity is not a singular organism that must be held together in perfect formation to be complete or connected as one. The reunification of an entity grants greater ubiquity and access to collective experience and knowledge, but this should not imply that the components of the whole are mere carbon copies, or that they are incapable of roaming to other realms individually. If you allow us to borrow from your current technology, we are connected vibrationally and share the same iCloud, so to speak. But this doesn't mean we are of a singular point of view without derivation. There is still separate input from those in the collective. Otherwise, we wouldn't be characterized as 1050.

 

Two Popular Casting Systems

The idea of casting has gradually evolved over the years, from what began as simple terminology to describe the numbers and arrangements of various soul groups, to more complex designations that included a whole series of special jobs and responsibilities that members in soul families carry out, as well as the unique path of each soul.

As a refresher, the position you occupy within your entity, your seat, so to speak, is your casting. Casting is a prominent secondary role influence and gains even more significance between lives, where your role and casting are the only elements that remain before starting the next life with a new set of overleaves.

Casting can be significant in the personal choices you make. If your casting, for instance, is the sage position in a king cadence, using the themes derived from those numbers, 5 and 7 (expansion and inculcation), can be instructive.

In this case, you may notice a tendency to make life choices based on a motivation to teach something in an expansive way. This could filter into all parts of the life. The secondary role energies of casting are certainly an undeniable influence, but their themes are equally important. Find more about those themes later in this article.

Essence Casting vs Raw Number Casting

In the section below, a brief description of the two most popular casting systems is presented. Through me, Michael chose to label them as essence casting and raw number casting (also called incarnational casting). With the exception of changes in terminology, the two systems may seem identical, but they are DIFFERENT in several fundamental ways.

For one, it is impossible to determine your raw number through essence casting. This misunderstanding has lingered for several decades in the Michael community and has been a source of considerable confusion. In addition, to begin with, essence casting into an entity is inherently messy. Yes, the roles are cast in sequences, the artisans, the priests, the warriors, for example, are all grouped together by their roles, but the available seating often allotted isn't a fixed number. In raw number casting the three sides of that entity structure are indeed fixed (343 souls per side). Although, some stowaways in that system (wild cards) are allowed. But in the end, if compared, entities representing both types of casting would not be alike nor would they perfectly align with each other. That was never intended. Attempts to map out an exact seating arrangement of each entity is an exercise in futility. It will never work.

And perhaps more anecdotal and not as relevant, but after examining countless photos of students and clients it became apparent that the role energies of essence casting are visible and leave an impression in facial expressions; whereas, with raw number casting, they do not. Which in a figurative sense, draws the conclusion that the ingredients of essence casting, if you will grant a culinary comparison, are slow-cooked at a simmer and allowed to become a permanent part of the stew, while raw number casting is more like those delicate herbs and pantry staples you add in the last minutes of preparation to avoid losing their flavor.

Namely, essence casting is permanent and wired-in for the entire grand cycle, whereas raw number casting is only relevant to those lives on the physical plane, impermanent and make-shift, like the things you carry in an overnight bag on a road trip.

For a simple analogy, think of your Essence Casting as the home address of your SOUL. In casting numbers like you would find on my Michael chart, it might look like (5/7/1). Conversely, your Incarnational Casting (Raw Number) is the special JOB you do on behalf of your entity; your office building, figuratively speaking, the block, the row, and the number of the cubicle you sit in. The place where you work. More on that later.

 

1) ESSENCE CASTING

Sometimes called Yarbro casting, since the information was first given in the Message From Michael books, this system describes how essence is cast from the Tao (or All That Is).

In this system, after your essence is cast you are amassed in a large group of around 84,000 souls called a cadre group (or energy ring). This sports stadium-sized congregation is broken into twelve smaller divisions of about 7000 souls each, called a cadre. A cadre contains seven soul families which consist, on average, of around a 1000 members a piece, and these groups are called an entity.

Entities are divided into three sections energetically aligned with a theme of either TRUTH, LOVE, or BEAUTY (sometimes called energy). Once souls are assigned one of the three universal energies, the members are placed into groups of 49 souls that resonate with one of those themes, and each group is called a greater cadence. Souls are then further divided into smaller pockets, a row of seven members called a cadence. There are seven cadences in a greater cadence.

Finally, the position that a soul occupies in a cadence (and the entire entity) is the cadence position (or casting).

In More Messages From Michael, the famous cookie dough metaphor is offered to add more clarity.

“Let us try to clarify some of this Casting for you. We will use a metaphor that is not to be taken literally, or even picturesquely. Let us say that a baker is making many flavors of cookies. He rolls the dough out into long tubes and cuts off those lengths he needs, flavors those tubes appropriately, then slices them into the individual cookies. Each cookie is still part of the tube of dough, although it is now artificially segmented, and has a particular flavor. Entities are like three or four tubes of dough being cut and baked at the same time, and the Cadres are like the other sorts of cookies and combinations of cookies on other shelves in the oven. This is not a literal description, but it gives something of the sense of Entities and the matter of order in Casting which results in Cadences.”

The bond that energetically pulls members of a cadence together is an enduring and compelling one, with a greater bond only found between the essence twin and task companions. Cadence mates may spend up to 80% of their lives together, expressing an unusual degree of tolerance toward each other. They are literally like "peas in a pod," and the connection is uncanny in its level of familial comfort and agreeableness. Whereas members of the same entity often feel like close cousins, members of the same cadence may feel like brothers and sisters. For this reason, if possible, cadence mates seek each other out. And opportunities for essence contact are notably high between members of a cadence. The synergy that naturally exists is a perfect fit for the recognition and validation of the connection.

A Chart Example

On a standard Michael chart you may see notation similar to the following: Cadre 1/Entity 5, Sage casting (5/7/1). From left to right, those numbers in parenthesis indicate your cadence position (or casting), your cadence number, and your greater cadence number. Resonating with a spice of role energy, your casting influences how your role expresses itself. A warrior with server casting will show different inclinations in life compared to, for instance, a warrior with sage casting. 

The next two numbers are your secondary and tertiary casting, which, as mentioned before, represent your cadence and greater cadence positions. Your secondary numbers (which all correlate with a role) are not as influential as your primary casting, but their effects are still noticeable. Of note, the number of your entity is more prominent in its influence than your greater cadence (the third number), but the greater cadence can boost the influence if the set of casting numbers is doubled or tripled. For example, 5/2/2 or 7/7/7.

As a rule of thumb, your cadence position (or primary casting) is your strongest casting influence. Your cadence is second. People that know you closely will feel the role influence of your cadence more readily; whereas, the greater world will tend to notice the influence of your entity's role number. For this reason, some channels list their casting numbers as cadence position, cadence, and entity number as opposed to cadence position, cadence, and greater cadence. Both arrangements have their merits and neither is better than the other.

 

Why is this even important?

Because the numbers assigned to each of these groups bear universal themes or energies related to the cosmic numbers in the Universe, and they play an influential role in your life. In other words, those seemingly random numbers given in Michael charts have MEANING.

The cadres, for example, numbering from one through twelve, are thematically linked with the positions in the support circle. The themes for each cadre are assigned as follows:

Cadre one (Love), Cadre Two (Knowledge), Cadre three (Compassion), Cadre four (Mentor), Cadre five (Beauty), Cadre six (Child), Cadre seven (Humor), Cadre eight (Discipline), Cadre nine (Anchor), Cadre ten (Healer), Cadre eleven (Enlightenment), Cadre twelve (Muse).

Entities (and this applies to all numbers given) also have themes based on their numerical position in a cadre. This list includes their positive and negative poles.

● Entity ONE: (+Purpose and -Simplicity). Server influence.
● Entity TWO: (+Stability and -Balance). Artisan influence.
● Entity THREE: (+Enterprise and -Versatility). Warrior influence.
● Entity FOUR: (+Consolidation and -Achievement). Scholar influence.
● Entity FIVE: (+Expansion and -Adventure). Sage influence.
● Entity SIX: (+Harmony and -Connection). Priest influence.
● Entity SEVEN: (+Inculcation and -Eclecticism). King influence.

As stated in More Messages From Michael, these numbers resonate throughout the Michael teachings.

ONE: Infant Soul, Server, Reevaluation, Stoic, Emotional Center, Self-Deprecation. TWO: Baby Soul, Artisan, Caution, Discrimination, Skeptic, Intellectual Center, Self-Destruction. THREE: Young Soul, Warrior, Perseverance, Submission, Cynic, Physical Center, Martyrdom. FOUR: Mature Soul, Scholar, Observation, Flow, Pragmatist, Instinctive Center, Stubbornness. FIVE: Old Soul, Sage, Power, Acceptance, Idealist, Higher Intellectual Center, Greed. SIX: Astral Plane, Priest, Passion, Growth, Spiritualist, Higher Emotional, Arrogance. SEVEN: Causal Plane, King, Aggression, Dominance, Realist, Moving Center, Impatience.

These themes can also be applied to the cadence number and cadence position.

To give an example, perhaps a Michael student is part of a seventh cadence (Inculcation) and sits in the fifth position of that cadence (Expansion). Using the chart above, it could be said that the student may show a natural proclivity to be an expansive teacher.

The Casting Numbers Double Back on Themselves

Of more interest, where in Michael Math the role and overleaves numbers are ranked from 1-3, with server as most ordinal, to 5-7, with king the most cardinal (and 4 being neutral), in casting, everything is reversed and doubles back on itself. Imagine the Yin-Yang symbol. The numbers 1-3 are now cardinal (server, artisan, warrior), with the server being the most exalted, and the previously cardinal numbers of 5-7 are now ordinal (sage, priest, king), with the king winning the prize of lowest ordinality.

More Messages From Michael cites the following:

“The Cadres are composed of seven Entities, and the Entities of Fragments of various Roles which are Cast in order at the same time. The functions within the Cadre and Entities are Cardinal and Ordinal. Those who are in the first half of the Casting, be it of Role-in-Entity, Entity and/or Cadre are Cardinal. Those in the second half are Ordinal. As is apparent, there is a great deal of flexibility in this, for it may be that a Fragment is in the Cardinal part of his Role-in-Entity but in an Ordinal Entity within the Casting of the Cadre. And the reverse is also true.”

Take a warrior-cast scholar with a server essence twin. In this scenario, the normally ordinal warrior energy, typically one-on-one and detail-oriented, now transforms into an exalted expression of warrior energy, bringing more cardinality to bear, like the king. The influence of casting moves from the sensory input of a noticeable spice to a more robust and predominantly heavy flavor, with a greater expansiveness conveyed by the now cardinal role energy -- at least in the casting position.

Why does this matter? This complimentary balance in secondary role influences allows formerly passive energies to share the stage on an equal footing. Our warrior casting that now exudes cardinality lends a new dynamic to the once ordinal archetype. Like the overleaves, these varied energies give the personality additional character-traits to work with and attract a more colorful array of life experiences, as a result. In other words, the experience of life becomes richer.

More Examples of Cardinal and Ordinal Functions in Casting

The cardinal and ordinal functions not only apply to the cadence position (or primary casting) but to numerical influences in other soul groups, as well. The entity exerts its own gravitational pull, so to speak, along with the cadence and greater cadence. If our previously mentioned warrior-cast scholar is in the first entity, for example, that is the most cardinal entity in the cadre, with the seventh entity the most ordinal. The cadence lends its on cardinal/ordinal influence, although to a lesser degree. As mentioned earlier, the greater cadence is not as noticeable, but it can pair up with the casting and cadence numbers, if two or all three of them are the same, and have an impact.

In More Messages From Michael, the following examples are given:

“Let us give you some examples. One of the members of our little group is a sixth Level Mature Scholar, is in the third Cadence of her Entity, in the fifth Position. This means that her Cadence is one that will tend to strive, to be +Enterprising, which is the nature of the Cadence. This Scholar in particular will do so +Expansively. This Fragment has many diverse interests and is especially fond of travel. We will provide another example. This Fragment is a fourth Level Mature Artisan in the Caution Mode with a Goal of Growth, a Skeptic in the Moving Part of Emotional Center with a Chief Feature of Stubbornness. In terms of Casting, this Fragment is in the Third Ordinal Cadence of his Entity in the First Position. He is therefore -Receptive rather than +Catalytic, and with the third or ‘Warrior’ Cadence, and the first or ‘Slave’ Position, he is strongly motivated to act when he is presented with the circumstances which require it. Since Artisans in general are not as quick to respond as the Fragment is, there are those who have expressed surprise at this. With understanding of the Cadence and Casting, the reasons behind it become clear. Here is another example. This Fragment was a seventh Level Mature Warrior in the Caution Mode with the Goal of Dominance, a Pragmatist in the Intellectual Part of Emotional Center with a Chief Feature of Stubbornness. Strong Overleaves to be sure, but it is when you are aware of his Casting that his full strengths and integrity become apparent, for this Warrior is not only the first-Cast Warrior of his Entity in which the Warriors were Cast first, but in the Entity that is the first-Cast of the Cadre. In other words, he is the Cardinal-most Fragment of the Cadre, giving him extreme Cardinality and one-ness on an order that can be experienced by no other Fragment.”

Controversy Over the Michael Numbers

Phil Wittmeyer, a longtime Michael student, has postulated that Yarbro's numbers, when aligned with role energies, soul ages, and other configurations linked to Michael Math, are incorrect. He refers to his theory as the Natural Sequence. His argument states that in Theosophy and other religious and metaphysical teachings from antiquity, the seven universal energies, when arranged in a septarian pattern, have followed a consistent order since ancient times. Unlike Michael Math, the order would place the energy of the warrior, for instance, in the first position, not the third. Where the original sequence, according to Yarbro, was (1) server, (2) artisan, (3) warrior, and so on, Wittmeyer argues that if you follow the natural sequence established in other teachings, the order should be (1) warrior, (2) server, (3) artisan, (4) scholar, (5) sage, (6) priest, (7) king. Wittmeyer further contends the Natural Sequence is used in every world tradition based on septarian arrangements, whereas the Michael Math sequence cannot be found anywhere else.

Perhaps the logic of Yarbro's system is that the original numbering positions the role energies from most ordinal to most cardinal. The percentage of how each role is distributed on the planet also follows that sequence; the highest number of roles are servers, the least number are kings. An inherent eloquence exists in the system, and for Michael's purposes, it may not need to follow a sequence outlined in other numeric arrangements.

On the other hand, if you look at how the natural sequence influences the first three soul ages, infant, baby, and young soul, the new traits jump out in surprising ways.

Where Yarbro's numbering for baby soul culture showed the numerical resonances of the expression axis and its natural overleaves of artisan, discrimination, skeptic, caution, and intellectual centering, the natural sequence aligns baby soul culture with inspiration axis energy and its natural overleaves of server, reevaluation, stoic, reserve, emotional centering, and self-deprecation. Compare the latter with familiar cultural traits found in the Midwest parts of the US (where baby souls are known to congregate), traits that spotlight conservative, traditional-minded people who care for their community, have close family ties, are deeply religious, do the right thing, are patriotic, are Pro-American, and most commonly, come running when members of their community need assistance. This comparison, where baby souls are aligned with the energies of the inspiration axis and the role of server, seems a better fit.

At the very least, the theory has merit and is worth investigating further.

Beyond the Influence of Essence Casting

After completing the reincarnational cycle on Earth and advancing through the remaining planes of existence (astral, causal, mental, messianic, buddhaic) the soul reunites with the Tao. When the time is right, a new role and casting are selected and the spark is recast into the physical universe. Another reincarnational cycle begins on a different planet, with the soul occupying another life form with it's own unique set of challenges and possibilities.

There has been speculation regarding how much is retained after completing each grand cycle. The Michael Entity offered these comments:

Q: Concerning grand cycles and our spark, does the spark retain its individuality even in the Tao, where all is one?

A: We tend to see individuality as a limiting concept yet from the perspective of the incarnated soul it's often impossible to perceive anything else. 

Your spark from the Tao goes through many transformations along the way, an amorphous energy of collective awareness not individual in the manner you would define it. What connects it all is a shared resonance. In other words, individuality in a spark from the Tao is made singular by a distinct vibration.

Consciousness is not as important in this sense as the overall resonance involved. You could compare the concept to several different qualities. The distinction might be purely vibrational in spiritual terms. It could be equated with a harmonic resonance (musically related micro-tonal chord clusters), or defined as a color of visible light (subtle hues that differentiate themselves). More directly, this individualization amounts to minute differences in energy. This distinct energy, while a part of the Tao, never loses its core identity.

Consciousness grows and evolves through these energetic formations.

2) RAW NUMBER CASTING (or Incarnational Casting)

Introduced by JP van Hulle, this system does not involve the process of being cast from the Tao, but describes a special incarnational casting used to assign a global job, a community responsibility, and (if you include Varda Hasselmann's contribution) the unique path of the soul. Incarnational casting is only relevant during the reincarnational cycle on the physical plane. The information given, however, is valuable and another tool in the arsenal of those driven to learn about the human condition.

The structure of the system is derived using a model of a standard entity, but with different terminology. A cadre group, for instance, is called an entity ring. The terms cadre and entity are the same, but greater cadence and cadence have been changed to the terms, block and row. There are also three sides to the model that represent the universal energies of Truth, Love, and Beauty. Each side contains 343 souls, with a total of 1029 in the entity altogether.

More importantly, the cadence (or casting position) has been changed to the term, raw number. These distinctions are important. While both systems describe the structural design of an entity (and the similarities are obvious), the INTERPRETATION is not the same.

In this system, the raw number is key to unlocking the global jobs and community responsibility. There are 49 possible global jobs, and 49 possible community responsibilities. The seven blocks each have an underlying motivation. The server block is BONDING; the artisan block is INVENTION; the warrior block is PRODUCTION; the scholar block is LEARNING; the sage block is COMMUNICATION; the priest block is SALVATION; the king block is MASTERY.

Each side of the entity (truth, love, energy) repeats the same global jobs and community responsibilities. For example, in the artisan block, raw numbers 50 (Truth), 393 (Love), and 736 (Energy) all share a global job of BALANCE and a community responsibility of NOURISHMENT. When you look at the Casting Chart Grid this all becomes much easier to understand.

Here's an introductory break-down of the components of incarnational casting. It shares similarities with essence casting, with slight differences in terminology and a structure that is more fixed.

 

Below is a list of the jobs and responsibilities.

 

Wild Cards

Because raw number casting uses a fixed number of souls per entity, the model is sometimes an unrealistic fit for real-world entities that contain more than 1029 souls. The Michael Entity, for instance is comprised of 1050 souls, and other entities have been channeled with considerably larger congregations. But that's why incarnational casting differs from essence casting from the Tao, and is exclusively used as an overlay to determine the global jobs and community responsibilities for the members of an entity.

In this system, when an entity does contain more than 1029 souls, those additional stowaways are called wild cards. The Michael Entity, with 1050 warrior and king souls, would conceivably contain 21 such wild cards.

How this all works differs in theory. In a cadence (now called a row), a wild card is said to fill vacancies in a cadence, or even wedge between two other casting positions in a cadence (or seats in a row of seven) and share the same global job and community responsibility. The imagery this evokes, where the wild card soul contorts itself into strange and misshapen forms to fit between seats occupied by two other souls is rather amusing. This does not likely happen, however. As mentioned already, these connections are achieved vibrationally and not bound by spatial restrictions. There may be proximity in the arrangement, and there may not. These seven souls and their stowaways, for the sake of illustration, could just as easily be on video calls from different places around the world. As long as they have a connection, a vibrational match in sync with their entity, it would feel as if they're at a party together, mingling in the same room. The spiritual realms are vastly different from the limitations of the physical.

More likely, the wild card simply takes a position in the entity that extends beyond 1029. For instance, position 1030,1031,1032, and so on. Since these positions go outside the pre-established rows and blocks that assign the various global jobs and community responsibilities, the sequence simply starts over again. If you were channeled with a raw number of 1030, for example, your equivalent position in the global jobs/community responsibilities casting chart (or grid) would be number 1, which corresponds with the truth side, a global job of service, and a community responsibility of nourishment. In other words, position 1030 could be considered an energetic counterpart with position 1; position 1031 would be a counterpart with position 2. And the sequence continues.

Duplicated Raw Numbers

Sometimes the raw numbers are duplicated in an entity. This has caused confusion among channels and students. Michael said the following.

A: With raw number casting, our channels sometimes encounter instances where duplication exists and several fragments occupy the same raw number position. This happens with the more popular global jobs, especially if a set of jobs resonates with the theme of a particular entity.

Up to seven fragments may use the same raw number. This works in a logistical sense because incarnational casting is an energetic overlay of an entity used to assign the resonances of the global jobs, not a real-world schematic of the actual positions in an entity, like those found in Essence (or Yarbro) casting.

Any concerns that this duplication somehow affects the bond created by two essence twins sharing the same seat position in separate entities are unwarranted. Those alignments only pertain to Essence casting.

Fragments sharing a raw number in the same entity — only possible in raw number casting — will notice a special bond if they encounter each other, and sense a shared purpose.

 

Seven Paths of the Soul

Varda Hasselmann's Seven Paths of the Soul can also be derived by using the raw number.

Varda's system outlines an internal structure that resides in each soul family. Varda says, "Because no soul family contains all seven essences, the structure of the seven paths joins the two, three, or rarely four essences that form a soul family. Thus, it becomes possible for a "warrior" to follow the path of silence by his position within the soul family, or a "priest" the path of knowledge, a "king" the path of touch, a "sage" the path of strength. But one thing is common in both the path and the role of the soul: the seven paths also correspond in their principles to the characteristics of the seven basic energies."

There are seven paths:

1) Path of Touch

2) Path of Knowledge

3) Path of Strength

4) Path of Form

5) Path of Longing

6) Path of Silence

7) Path of Search

A Word of Advice

In regards to Raw Number casting, it's generally not a good idea to reverse engineer the numbers and assign secondary role influences as commonly done with Essence Casting (or Yarbro's system). The raw number system, as mentioned already, chiefly maps out the global job, community responsibility, etc. Yes, the blocks and rows will carry certain attributes of role energy that pertains to the assigned casting, but any secondary role influences should first be derived from Yarbro's system, which is directly linked to essence. Otherwise, if you combine both systems as if they're the same, you're left with a wash of diffused and watered-down energies that have the murky consistency of soup, not distinct flavors. They ultimately cancel each other out.

I asked the Michael Entity if they could explain how the role influences differ between the two casting systems. Here is their reply.

MICHAEL: The role energies of the global job and community responsibility are more subtle than the fixed, deep-seated schematic that's wired into the soul when essence is initially cast. And the role influences seen in the blueprint of raw number casting are ephemeral. The underlying motivation of the job is the true catalyst. The nature of the work itself, the accompanying impulses, the total immersion, awakens the role energy that corresponds with the particular job, and at that moment, an outer layer of the resonating energy is temporarily imprinted onto the personality and sometimes detected by others. It's not a ubiquitous influence as experienced with the role, traditional casting, or the overleaves, but short-lived bursts of recognition, like a flash of lightning behind the clouds. Again, the underlying motivation is the key. 

In your world, there is a saying about wearing different hats. Certain occupations require a wide variety of hats, uniforms, and other accouterments. When someone is engaged in one of the global jobs then and focused on that incarnational mission, they are temporarily wearing the hat of the role influence that corresponds with that job. If you have a global job of the archivist, for example, you are wearing a scholar hat. If your global job is humor, you are wearing the sage hat, and so on. Although, the community responsibilities, as a rule, are not as detectable in an outward sense, and mostly perceived as a soft patina. 

Overall, to summarize the two casting systems and compare their impact on the personality, essence casting is predominant and pervasive at all times; raw number casting is more temporal, depending on when those energies are activated by the global job that corresponds with those role influences. 

Q: While you acknowledge the temporary nature of the incarnational role influence, would it be accurate to consider it a secondary role influence, given its impact on personality and its potential interaction with the primary influence of essence casting?

MICHAEL: Your secondary role influence is the position in your cadence, derived from essence casting. Your essence twin also clamors for attention, depending on its incarnational status. As alluded to before, any role traits activated during incarnational casting could be considered softer hues of the roles or more subtle shades of expression. An exception occurs when a role energy in Incarnational casting is duplicated by a role in Essence casting. This may add more solidity to the energy, but it still doesn't transcend the influence of Essence casting, which embodies your core nature. In contrast, Raw Number (or Incarnational casting) is a situational focus related to the task at hand.

Remember, just as you wouldn't expect earth and air to behave against their nature, these two casting systems have unique purposes and functions. Expecting homogeneity here would be akin to trying to breathe earth and walk on air.

In short, raw number casting should not serve as a model to represent the initial casting from the Tao as described by Yarbro and other channels. Attempts to force the two systems together or expect them to perfectly align in symmetrical union is akin to pounding the proverbial square peg into a round hole. It does not work unless the intention is to master the art of convolution.

Both casting systems have well-defined tasks and are highly useful tools, but the intended purpose of the two should not be confused. As most carpenters know, using the right tool for the job is crucial. You don't pound a nail with a screwdriver. This truth also applies to the Michael teachings.

Considerably more could be said about this model, but that would be too extensive to include in a brief article.

Summary of the Two Casting Systems

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ESSENCE CASTING

Defines your core identity, fundamental values, and inherent inclinations. Influences emanate from your position in a cadence of seven souls, the effect of the cadence itself, the entity (your soul family), and, to a lesser degree, the greater cadence. Like the deep-rooted foundation of the roots in a tree, this is a permanent influence.

Essence casting governs the energetic framework of the soul. It's the starting point, a single drop from the ocean of the Tao that makes an initial ripple in the surface of the water, enabling the unfoldment of the soul's potential and overall characteristics.

Influence: 

• Deeply Embedded Throughout Life and Beyond: A pervasive influence that hones the approach to life, including daily decisions and interactions with others and the world. 
• Naturally Inherent Qualities: Revealed in personality traits, likes and dislikes, and underlying needs and unconscious motivators. 
• Examples: The assorted role flavors of essence casting may grant someone a penchant for creativity, compassion, leadership, or exceptional erudition. One of these primary qualities is hardwired into the soul, literally stamped by the Tao, and shapes the soul's journey and contributions made to the world.

INCARNATIONAL (or RAW NUMBER) CASTING

Aligns with tasks related to the"global job" or "community responsibility." Allows one to focus on different facets of themselves while contributing to the greater good. Only relevant to those that choose to incarnate into physical form. The specific global jobs and responsibilities are not universal, but uniquely adapted to the needs of a planetary species.

Raw Number casting governs the soul's growth and development during the incarnational cycle. Through this journey, the soul's evolution and self-actualization is realized, bolstered by the lessons of soul age, the internal monads, and other physical plane experiences.

Influence: 

• In the Moment and Situational: Task oriented and only engaged when the need arises. Requires a specific trigger or situation to activate. 
• Precise and Concentrated: Relevant skills are brought to bear, often focused on a global job or community responsibility. 
• Examples: Working as an Archivist (Global Job), the scholar influence might drive greater attention to detail, instill a thirst for research and the acquisition of knowledge, and confer an ability to logically synthesize information.

Casting Contrasts in Manifestation

• Duration: The influence of essence casting is pervasive. Along with the influence of the role, it defines your core being. The influence of raw number casting is situational and activated as needed. It fades when not in use. 
• Finer Details: Essence casting is all-encompassing, a broad foundation that not only includes subconscious influences but core values and inherent proclivities related to role energy. Raw Number Casting is context specific and related to skills and abilities. A focused engagement. 
• Consciousness: With essence casting, there's an inherent knowing, an awareness of a fundamental nature that states, this is who you are at your core. It's an integral part of the blueprint of the soul. In contrast, Raw Number Casting is present-moment engagement with an activity connected to the global job or community responsibility, including other areas of soul development. 

 

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DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THE GLOBAL JOBS AND COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITIES

To learn more, read about the Global Jobs and Community Responsibilities. Note: You will need to have your raw number channeled to get the full picture. If you already know your raw number, start with the Casting Chart Grid.

INSTRUCTIONS

To identify your Global Job and Community Responsibility, use the Chart Casting Grid (linked above) to locate the global job and community responsibility connected with your raw number.

Organized into a series of blocks, rows, and columns, the items in the grid are all associated with one of the seven role energies: server, artisan, warrior, scholar, sage, priest, and king. The block and row determine the global job; the column determines the community responsibility and side of entity. For example, if your raw number is 149, you would open the grid and search for that number in the center boxes on the chart.

Once you find your raw number, notice that it correlates with either truth, love, or energy, and its position also reveals your row in the block. In this case, if you scan to the left in your row after you have found your raw number, you’ll see that the global job for that row is ARCHIVES. If you look in the column where your raw number of 149 is located (which also includes the numbers 492 and 835, the sides of the entity), you’ll see that the community responsibility is COMFORT. Do not assume your raw number is the same number as the global job numbers outlined on the global jobs description page. That is incorrect. Use the chart casting grid to find your corresponding global job and community responsibility, and then go back to the PDF to read the descriptions.

David Gregg

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Shepherd Hoodwin weighed in further about the two types of casting at the MT discussion list, and that material is included here for your edification.

More on the Casting Systems

There are two totally different kinds of casting for entities on the physical plane: “Essence Casting” and “Incarnational Casting.”

ESSENCE CASTING

The initial casting from the Tao, as outlined in More Messages from Michael by Quinn Yarbro in the “Michael Math” chapter, mostly groups souls by roles: a group of, say, sages first, then servers, etc. Michael gave the analogy of a baker rolling out dough for different kinds of cookies, one role first, then another.

In more complex entities, there can be more than one cluster of greater cadences (seven cadences, or forty-nine souls) of each role, so there could be, for example, two or more sages with 1/1/1 casting, because the third number refers to your greater cadence’s position within your string of greater cadences, not within, say, all the sages in your entity.

In the raw number system, the groupings can have mixed roles, which is one giveaway that they are different systems.

Essence casting is the kind of casting on my chart, and on Dave’s as well. It tells you how you tend to direct your essence energies. It gives you flavors of other roles, but not their energies (as ET bleedthrough does). It is more “baked into” your essence than “raw number” casting, which is mainly about what you do on the physical plane. Neither are more important than your essence role, which is your basic nature, but sometimes your casting (and/or ET bleedthrough) jumps out at others first, perhaps because it has a stronger flavor.

For example, I am a sage with 5/4/3 initial casting, so I am a sage-cast sage. Sage is my “primary casting” since 5 is the first number, and sages are the 5 role. I am a stereotypical sage, and therefore I tend to strongly direct my sage energies into the sage domain (communication, performance, writing, teaching, singing, etc.—fifth chakra activities).

1—Server

2—Artisan

3—Warrior

4—Scholar

5—Sage

6—Priest

7—King

My secondary casting is 4, or scholar. I secondarily direct my sage energies into the scholar domain, which accounts for my collecting information as well as disseminating it. The 5 number applies only to me in my cadence, so it is the most concentrated or important for me. The 4 applies to everyone in my cadence of sages (seven of us), so it is more general. You could say that it makes a larger circle around me, diluted but evident from a little further away. Therefore, Sarah Chambers channeled that the number in this position stands out to friends and family.

The third number, 3, is the weakest influence on me personally, since it applies to everyone in my greater cadence, which is forty-nine sages, making a still-larger circle of influence. For me, it adds a bit of the warrior’s enterprising nature. I include it on my charts to see whether it reinforces any other essence influences; in my case, it doesn’t.

Our entity’s number within our cadre is also part of our casting. Since it applies to all thousand or so entity members, it is much more diffuse, creating a much bigger circle around us. Therefore, according to Sarah, strangers (those farther away) will notice the casting of our entity’s position. In my case, that is a general artisan quality, since I’m in the number 2 entity of my cadre. All number 2-position entities have a generalized artisan quality. It just so happens that my entity has a lot of sages, so people will also notice a light, general sage flavor in entity members who aren’t sages. Therefore, my entity has a strong expression-axis quality, since artisan and sage are the two expression-axis roles, which shows up even in members of other roles.

Cadre numbers through me have no casting implications, since they are not one out of seven or twelve, but one out of infinity, a unique number for each cadre so that people can know whether they are in the same entity as someone else. Michael through me refers to my cadre as 3, but it is first in its “cadre group” (or “energy ring”) and therefore is in the “love” position out of twelve. According to JP, the twelve “support circle” positions are: love, knowledge, compassion, mentor, beauty, child, humor, discipline, anchor, healer, enlightenment, and muse.

INCARNATIONAL CASTING

After being initially cast and having a devic stage on the physical plane, as José Stevens outlines in Tao to Earth, most if not all entity members who are initially cast commit to a grand cycle on the planet (in this case, Earth, in the human form). They gather on the lower astral plane to plan their time on the physical plane. The deck is reshuffled, so to speak, as each soul volunteers for specific jobs and responsibilities. It is the same entity but its members take different positions that are not about the soul’s inner qualities (as in initial casting) so much as about what it does on the physical plane. This is the “raw number” system of casting pioneered by JP Van Hulle. Independently, Varda Hasselmann also started getting information about raw numbers.

It’s like forming a search party, and each member volunteers to search for experiences in different places in different ways to bring back to the entity. Then the entity’s first incarnation begins, usually by the soul with the raw number 1 (1/1/1 casting), since 1 casting tends to lead the way or go first, being the most cardinal position. JP has a raw number of 1. Her entity also happens to be first in its cadre and cadre group (twelve cadres), so she is in a very cardinal position, although her warrior role is ordinal.

The Michael Math chapter explains that with casting numbers, cardinality and ordinality are reversed: server is the most ordinal role, but 1 casting, which resonates with server and all the ordinal inspiration overleaves, is most cardinal since it comes first. That allows souls to experience each role’s qualities in a cardinal as well as an ordinal way, other than 4/scholar, which stays neutral since it’s in the middle.

(There will be a third kind of casting once the entity cycles off and starts to reunite on the upper astral plane, to plan their experiences moving forward.)

There’s a lot of confusion because the two different physical plane casting systems have been conflated. You cannot figure out your raw number or Way from the information on my chart, or Dave’s. THEY ARE TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF CASTING. Also, there are no “wild cards” in essence casting; they only exist in incarnational casting.

I asked Michael whether they wanted me to add raw numbers to my charts, and they said no, in part because my students are already confused enough by one casting system, but I am willing to see what I get in written channeling or individual sessions. I do find that raw numbers can add useful information.

Varda’s “Ways” are your position within your cadence in the raw number system. For example, according to JP, my raw number is 41, so I am in the sixth (priest) position of my row (cadence), characterized in this case by a “community responsibility” of “trust and faith.” Die Quelle through Varda calls that sixth position the Way of Silence. The row itself is also sixth in its block (greater cadence), characterized by “salvation,” which is my “global job.” The block is first in my entity, the “server bonding block,” and is therefore on the truth side (the first 343 souls of an entity, 7 x 7 x 7, are on the “truth side”). So my casting in this system is 6/6/1 (or if you start with the block/greater cadence first, 1/6/6.)  I have no inspiration-axis qualities on my chart, so this explains where those influences come from (priest and server are the two inspiration-axis roles).

Side of entity is not the same as “orientation” on my charts. I have a truth/love orientation, which means that from my initial casting, I am always working to integrate truth and love. Orientations are distributed randomly through entities. The truth/love combination is what I chose. An entity doesn’t necessarily have equal numbers of each orientation (which is usually just love, truth, or beauty/pure energy, not a combination).

Shepherd Hoodwin

 

Channeling About the Two Casting Systems

In the interest of understanding the two systems better, I channeled the following from the Michael Entity in hopes of further clarification.

-- Dave Gregg

Q: Discuss the two casting systems mentioned on the MT list, and explain how they differ. 

 

A: The two casting systems (what you call Yarbro casting and JP's casting) are primarily conveyed in a figurative sense, and not meant to be an exact representation of the actual structure that exists in dimensions outside your own. The outline of the entity, as presented by various channels, is a rough example at best, and certainly not a faithful reproduction. An accurate description of an entity would be impossible within the context of your three-dimensional world, which does not contain the geometric configurations or infinite variety of spacial possibilities available in a multi-dimensional universe. 

 

Your scientific theories concerning quantum entanglement are perhaps a more apt description (although not a precise one) of how fragments in an entity are interrelated, seemingly across vast distances — at least, according to physical plane measurements. While the depiction of an entity is accurate in an energetic sense, the souls are not squeezed together into perfectly symmetrical rows that have a visible form. These depictions of form and structure help students understand the framework of an entity, but souls do not need to assemble like atoms in a molecule to hold their shape, nor is a shape required. That is strictly a physical plane morphology. In reality, and reality can differ dependent on the dimensional perception, fragments in an entity mainly coalesce through vibrational resonance as opposed to a structure that requires being held together as a single mass. The current model, however, as we have shared with channels, is sufficient. 

 

In regards to the two casting systems, one could be called essence casting, and the other, incarnational casting. 

In your current understanding, partly found in the work of Yarbro, essence casting is where the Tao divides and sub-divides aspects of itself into the universe, similar to the way a human cell divides into another cell through the process of mitosis. Essence casting carries elements of spiritual DNA that allow for the continuous regeneration of soul stuff, evolving and gathering experiences beyond the capabilities the Tao could know if it had not once chosen to branch out in multiple directions, like leaves on a tree. 

 

Incarnational casting, introduced by JP Van Hulle, is a system that overlays the structure of an entity to align with specific goals, tasks, and responsibilities that enhance the spiritual development of the soul group. In some ways, this could be thought of as the overleaves of an entity. Used more like a schematic, the souls in an entity collectively agree to accept these specific jobs and responsibilities before incarnating into the physical plane. These task energies are superimposed, if you will, onto the framework of an existing entity, resulting in what appears to be a reorganization of the structure. But that is a matter of semantics or interpretation.  Someone essence-cast as a priest, for instance, in the essence casting model, will be priest cast throughout their entire progression from the physical plane back to the Tao. Their incarnational casting does not alter that. It simply imbues them with additional attributes (their global jobs, for instance) relative to their experiences and pursuits over a series of lifetimes. In short, essence casting reflects your core being, whereas incarnational casting reflects the work you do as a soul when involved in an incarnational cycle. 

 

To illustrate, think of an entity created from essence casting as an apartment complex or a neighborhood full of houses. When at home, souls typically represent their true selves (or core being), as cited by the positional influences in their entity (greater cadence, cadence, etc.). When these souls go to work, however, they leave their homes (or begin a new incarnation), enter an office building, and go to a specific floor of that workplace to sit at cubicles aligned with the jobs they are doing. This is just one figurative example of raw number casting among many. The system should not be confused as being a separate entity of its own, but instead, as an energetic overlay that represents the various jobs and responsibilities the members of an existing entity use to advance the cause of their individual soul needs and their entities' objectives. 

 

Q: But what about the raw number? Isn't that the position you occupy in your entity? How does that correlate with traditional casting, as outlined in the Yarbro books?

 

A: The raw number could be thought of as the location of your cubicle at work. It correlates with the global job you endeavor toward over an entire series of incarnations. Because the concept of a fixed point doesn't hold the same validity in a multi-dimensional experience, your actual position in an entity based on the essence casting model is more malleable and not easily measured. It's the unique vibrations of individual souls that generate the shared groupings in an entity, not their physical location. Yes, these fragments were cast into positions that set the vibrations in motion, but the positions are not fixed by locality. Their groupings are vibrational. A channel can ascertain the correct numbers aligned with these groupings, such as the cadence or casting, but a raw number would not work in this system.

The raw number is exclusive to the rigid structure of incarnational casting, which requires a pre-established template and a certain predictability in its configuration due to the more active engagement with the physical plane. 

Q: So raw number casting is not an exact rendering of an entity?

A: It is only an approximation -- an overlay, a model, but one that has energetic implications.

To throw out another analogy where the physical plane is school, which is not entirely a mis-characterization, raw number casting describes a seating chart a teacher refers to in a classroom and the positions are the assignments given as homework to each student. The work, the jobs, the assignments -- however you choose to perceive or distort them, all contribute to the continued growth and greater awareness of the fragments in an entity and the entity as a whole. These lesson plans are not universal and are specifically created to meet the unique requirements and needs of an ensouled species on a planet. If you canvas other worlds in the Universe, the course curriculum is likely different, with a unique set of global jobs and responsibilities.

Theoretical Channeling: Advanced Sentient Structures & More Distinctions Between Essence and Raw Number Casting (Q & A)

In these ever-expanding mathematical examples, the groups are multiplied by 12, which creates a nested and hierarchical system.

Enormity of Complexity and Size:

As the hierarchy of these structures increases, so does the complexity. The size, for instance, in a Harmony is vast, populated with billions of fragments, all of them operating at increasingly greater arrays of organization.

The Limitation Imposed on Harmonies:

For whatever reason, an interesting constraint is placed on a single sentient species, stating that only 7 harmonies are allowed. This needs to be investigated further to see if limitations are placed on all sentient species or if it's based on the environmental living conditions and geographical space available on a planet.

Metaphorical Constructs, Not Physical:

If envisioning this information creates uncomfortable contortions in your brain, understand that these groups follow physical constructs that may not apply in spiritual reality, where space constraints and geometric principles as we know them are not applicable. Imagine these structures as a metaphorical and symbolic framework designed to explain the ways.

2) MORE DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN ESSENCE AND INCARNATIONAL CASTING:

These two casting systems have accrued different names over the years. There's Yarbro casting (which is aligned with Michael math), and there's JP's casting (which is used to find your raw number). Non-Michael students won't know the names Yarbro or JP, so Yarbro has been called soul casting, initial casting, essence casting, and Michael-Math casting. I'm pondering if Tao-casting might be a better term? It's specific, and it implies the action taken. I'm currently torn on JP's system, where both the names Raw Number casting and Incarnational casting have their individual merits. I tend to use both terms synonymously. But I'll sort it out at some point. Here's more channeling on exploring the distinctions between essence (or Tao?) casting and incarnational casting.

- Q & A -

How do the goals and principles of these two casting systems contrast?

MICHAEL: It would be instructive to cite the functional differences.

To illustrate, imagine the Tao as a cosmic gardener, his clothing rumpled and worn from daily toil, and in the Universe, there are an infinite number of fertile patches of ground suitable for tilling. The Tao, however, is not sowing crops, but sowing the seeds of consciousness.

Thus, in these gardens of the Universe, the Tao is planting potential. This is essence casting.

 Essence casting (which uses the numerical order based on Michael math) involves the role, the overleaves, the soul groups, and anything concerning the soul’s energetic framework. The seven chakras, for instance, an intrinsic part of the anatomy of the soul, are set during essence casting. 

Conversely, Incarnational (or Raw Number) casting is about germinating the seed (or in this case, the soul). It sinks its roots deep into the soil of experience and sprouts tendrils of awareness and yearning. Valuable lessons and experience are amassed over a series of lifetimes. Soul age, the levels and the internal monads are under the jurisdiction of Raw Number casting.

Working in tandem, the dual casting systems support a two-prong process of potential and expression; spark and flame; casting and evolution. This is how growth happens.

Essence casting, to bring things full circle and make the point clear, concerns the casting of the soul (or the initial seeding of consciousness), launching it on its way; Raw Number (or incarnational casting), guides the soul’s overall growth and evolution. It’s a symbiotic relationship that charts the soul’s journey from initiation to fulfillment, from potential to self-actualization.

Q: It’s been said that the overleaves remain with the body after passing. They do not accompany the soul to the astral. Could you tell me why then are the overleaves considered part of Essence casting, which includes the roles? You said earlier that essence casting only concerns things related to the energetic framework of the soul.

MICHAEL: Within a note played on a musical instrument, if you listen closely, other notes can be detected. These are the harmonics (or overtones) of that note. They contribute to the inherent richness and overall resonance of the note's tonal qualities. 

A role (or soul type) also contains its own series of harmonics, adding deeper facets of expression to the energies of the role. These vibrate as overleaves. 

Each role embodies a unique set of natural overleaves. Strike a tuning fork pitched to the role of artisan, and within that vibration resonates the overleaves of the goal discrimination, the attitude of skeptic, the mode of caution, the intellectual center, and the chief feature of self-destruction.

 When a role is cast from the Tao, it comes preloaded. These overleaves are an integral part of the role, sewn into the fabric, an equivalent resonance. Therefore, because the seven roles all contain their own unique sets of natural overleaves, they are part of Essence Casting. 

Q: As most Michael students know, the Michael math chapter in Yarbro lists the order of the roles for essence casting as server, artisan, warrior, scholar, sage, priest, king. What is the significance of this order? Wouldn't other numerical orders work just as well? 

MICHAEL: The sequence follows the order of the seven chakras, from 1 to 7. That is, if you’re referencing traditional interpretations. We suggest the natural order first implied in various 15th century Yoga texts, and now prevalent in many new age books and studies. 

The roles are essentially a refinement of chakra energy. 

This energy is abundant and flourishes ubiquitously in the Universe. It permeates and invigorates everything with its life force, from the most advanced souls to primitive bacterial colonies. The energy can be remolded and repurposed in a variety of ways, all of them awesome outpourings of creativity and expression.

When used as a refinement of role energy, each expression is unique and infused with a mix of the role’s characteristic traits integrated with a personal brushstroke from the Tao. Like fingerprints, not one energetic signature is ever the same.

During a new incarnation, since the energies needed to draw from already exist in the etheric layers of the body, the dispersion of chakra energy activates the chosen overleaves, in a process we mentioned before, similar to unlocking a door with a hotel keycard.

Also, the importance of the Pillars of Vitality (or the Four Trues) is now more easily understood, since an individual focus on the trues has a direct influence on healing and balancing the chakras. The first and sixth chakras respond to true rest; the second and fifth chakras, to true play; the third and seventh chakras, to true work; and the fourth chakra, to true study. Any trues that go beyond these four pillars are not part of this structure. They are incidental.

To dispel potential misunderstandings, chakra energy should not be confused with a role in the sense that seven distinct roles occupy a body. The chakras bear the same energetic signatures of the roles, but lack the refinement to make them fully functional and distinct. While roles are indeed molded from the same clay, the chakras, as energy centers, serve their own unique purpose and function.

Q: Explain more about the natural order of the chakras. Why does it apply to Yarbro (or essence) casting? 

MICHAEL: The energy centers that animate life forms in the physical world follow natural laws, where the life force energy flows through a cycle of predictably increasing or decreasing graduations. The order of the chakras, without question, follows this sequence, similar to the way bands of light display the same pattern of spectral colors in a rainbow. This is how the energy circulates without impedance. Switch the order of a chakra and it’s like passing through a void. An electrical wire has been severed. In short, the flow is disrupted, and so is the life.

More flexibility exists in other casting systems, where the energy is used in developmental models designed for growth and evolution -- such as soul age or the internal monads. These energetic expressions (and the assorted challenges they bring) don’t rely on sustaining a life form. They are part of the incarnational curriculum.

Examples of a natural order can, of course, be found throughout your physical world. Despite the prevailing instances of order and chaos in the Universe, a crazy alphabet soup of not knowing which letters will appear on the spoon, patterns and sequences exist in both the natural and unnatural worlds.

DNA, in particular, the very blueprint of life, follows a natural order where nucleotides encode genetic information. The result: living organisms. In the science of photosynthesis in plants, a natural order of steps is involved in converting light into chemical energy. Plants grow. In the field of chemistry, the elements in a periodic table are arranged in a natural order based on their atomic number. An unexpected result: ill-advised mixtures sometimes blow up. And illuminations drawn from the electromagnetic spectrum reveal a natural order based on frequency/wavelength. Cite our earlier mentioned example of a rainbow.

These are all demonstrations of how natural order follows underlying laws and manifests in diverse yet predictable patterns. The seven chakras and the natural order of the roles, although not verifiable by science, are of the same breed, analogous to patterns found in other scientific disciplines. The sequence provides the best free-flowing conduit of life force energy.

Q: So Essence casting follows the natural order of the 7 chakras. The order seems set in stone. Why is that?

MICHAEL: The energy found in essence casting, that animates and sustains the life form and the elements of the personality, is fixed on that task. It cannot be diverted without diminishing returns. A river, for example, cannot run uphill. That defies certain laws of physics, and, in perhaps a metaphorical sense, the nature of a river. In a similar vein, the energies of essence casting function according to an inherent order. The energy follows an intended purpose, much like the energy of our river that flows according to its nature. And not surprisingly, its nature is to flow.  

Q: Concerning the "doubling back" reference mentioned about casting in the Michael math chapter of MMFM. Doesn't that imply that the ordinal and cardinal roles should be symmetrical or a mirror image? 

MICHAEL: That passage could have been worded better. We meant that the function that governed those roles, or in that example, the cardinality, is the part that doubles back. The cardinal roles become ordinal and vice-versa. 

Q: Regarding any hierarchical structures within these casting systems, are all entities considered equal?

MICHAEL: Like the differences in casting, entities formed during essence casting are permanent; soul groups formed during the incarnational cycle are temporary and more specialized.

Imagine a symphony orchestra, for instance, whose grandiose size fills an entire stage, producing a majestic sound, with a rich sonic palette of individual textures and tonal colors. This represents the vast expanse of essence casting. In other ventures (of the Raw Number variety), instrumental sections in the orchestra, in a figurative sense, break free to form chamber groups that specialize in small brass ensembles performing Baroque music, or a unique blend of woodwind instruments that challenge the ear with difficult 20th-century compositions. Souls groups from incarnational casting are like this. They offer unique perspectives individually tailored to the aspirations of the whole.

Q: How do entities from the different systems transition from one to the other?

MICHAEL: Similar to our discussions about the two casting systems mentioned in earlier channeling, they don’t transition in a literal sense. The entities formed during essence casting are considered home base. They are vibrationally fixed to these groups. The assembly of souls taking part in the ad hoc entity overlay that is formed during incarnational casting are striving toward a united goal together. They are at work. Their unified focus is the bond that holds the entity together. It’s an exhilarating experience.

We would describe the process as an energetic displacement, but when we say energy, we infer consciousness. A shift occurs not unlike the way essence retains its astral presence when fragments of itself live physical lives.

Eventually, our incarnating souls retire from these groups, or as we have colloquially described it, cycle-off, where their work resumes recombining their entity formed during essence casting in the upper levels of the astral.

Q: Have channels known about these different casting systems and properly notated them?

MICHAEL: Most channels have incorporated elements from both of these systems, but never realized they were distinct. There's been many instances of lost in translation here, but these structures have always been metaphorical at best. They are approximations only, and the information channeled so far, with a few exceptions, has conveyed the subject sufficiently. There are always finer points to be made, though. 

Q: This is something I’ve noticed and wondered about for years. Is there any inherent significance that the pillars of vitality (the four trues) are found in a Michael Septenary?

MICHAEL: The structures you have noted, neatly embedded within the septenary, hold significant meaning. 

These energetic frameworks are the building blocks for the cosmological structure of our teachings. These principles are foundational. They are not just the mortar that holds the stones in place, but metaphorically, the very elements that hold the stones, the mortar and entire buildings together for as far as the eye can see. 

This is the energy of consciousness. It permeates all living forms, at the physical and soul levels. It's the very essence of the Tao, made manifest in all things. 

That the four axes act as a binding agent in a septenary should come as no surprise. These ordinal and cardinal versions of universal energy provide the necessary foundation, while the assimilative port (an energetic harbor, figuratively speaking, for docking, traffic, and storage) is the bridge that connects these foundations together as a whole. This balancing agent is vital for cohesion. Without these components that both equalize and yield paths for expansion, everything collapses on itself, like the spiritual equivalent of a black hole.  

In terms of practical use of this information, understand that within a septenary there exists a perfect balance of the four axes (or the four expressions of consciousness), and within that, the pillars of vitality, the universal standard for organizing and quantifying vital force energy. 

David Gregg

 

The Cyclical Journey: From Entity to Essence and Back

The Expansive Nature of Essence (A Microcosm Within the Macrocosm)

Q: Discuss the role of essence in reincarnation.

MICHAEL: The confusion surrounding incarnation stems from earlier definitions of essence that remained ambiguous. Essence, as we define it, is the earthly embodiment of what could be called quantized Tao-energy. This powerful energy, in its entirety, could not be contained in a physical body. Only a discrete packet of this spark of consciousness may be sustained in physical form. It acts as the core that focuses and centers the incoming soul. The soul itself, (sometimes called the astral self), is a portion of essence intended to facilitate the consciousness necessary to sustain the personality and animate the life form.

We will add that the consciousness of the soul, once ignited by this spark of essence, is indestructible and will exist in one form or another for eternity.

Regarding essence and its involvement in the reincarnation process, essence acts as the progenitor, setting the stage for the cycle of reincarnation. Once the astral self enters the body, it evolves independently, reacting and adjusting to the push and pull of the role energies and overleaves, along with any enculturations experienced.

Q: To make sure we're on the same page, what is the astral self? I saw it mentioned once or twice in a Yarbro book, and then never again.

MICHAEL: The astral self is the part of essence that is involved in the reincarnation cycle, and directly incarnates into a physical body, in an ongoing series of lives that progress in a cycle from 1st level infant to 7th level old soul. It represents the collective body of souls (the prior lineage of past lives) that makes agreements and life plans for the next incarnation, all under the wise tutelage of essence.

Q: Following the first, initial life, does the same soul (or astral self) reincarnate later into a new body?

MICHAEL: Once sparked into flame, the astral self follows an unrelenting quest to grow and evolve. Consider the ensuing lifetimes as a shift in focus.

The first incarnation (or personality) is not absorbed or snuffed out, but integrates some of its propensities into the second personality, lending a subtle imprinting to the incarnating astral self. This may sound like schizophrenia, but we assure you it is not. On a soul level, the astral self can easily switch between personalities when interacting with others, and these multiple personalities also exist independently and with self-awareness, despite being the same soul.

Think of a carousel. As the ride spins, it moves slow enough that you see the horses and their riders all separately attached to the ride. If the ride were sped up to supersonic speeds, suddenly the horses, despite being attached separately, would appear to blur together. This motion blur figuratively illustrates that what was once separate now exists as one.

One implication here is that as the astral self evolves and collects more life experience, these accumulations, which include hard-won lessons, learned skills, and developing talents, can (up to the discretion of the astral self), seep into the new personality. This explains certain predilections found in personality (including the four pillars), the before mentioned unfolding of individual talents, and the enigma seen in society concerning child prodigies. Genetics also play a role here,

Q: So, essentially, essence creates this astral self that incarnates into the body?

MICHAEL: In what may seem like a departure from earlier channeling (where, in fact, it was more the result of a lack of specific questioning), essence actually creates seven distinct astral selves. To illustrate, imagine essence as a mighty tree, and each astral self that slowly grows and evolves over a series of lifetimes is on a different branch.

For some of our students, this helps illuminate the sometimes complex nature of what our channels have referred to as "concurrents." The branches are separate clusters of souls. Said more succinctly, soul clusters. Concurrents, although from the same essence, belong to their own soul cluster, (or branch) on the essence tree. This means the past lives of one soul cluster (or astral self) are not the past lives of another.

Essence creates a new lineage with a soul cluster, where the astral self incarnates a hundred times or more for as long as it takes to complete a soul age cycle. Other astral selves on their own branches do the same and create their own lineage of souls. If this seems incomprehensible, remember that these souls are all fragments of the same essence, sort of like a miniature version of an entity. And when essence eventually returns to its entity (although it technically never leaves) it returns with a considerable bag of ore, comprising a cumulative wealth of knowledge and wisdom.

Q: Concerning the ever-expanding nature of essence, I'm seeing mirrors positioned in a way that the reflection continues into eternity. Reminds me of the hall of mirror scene from the classic film, "Citizen Kane."

MICHAEL: We are aware of the existence of the film, the scene in question, and agree that the illusion of infinite reflections creates an evocative image, alluding to the fragmentary nature of essence's collective being, similar to the concept of fractals, where a smaller expression of the greater whole is reflected in each part.

Q: Why does essence stop once 7 soul clusters are completed?

MICHAEL: For essence, the seven soul clusters mark the completion of the incarnational cycle. This conclusion ends an exhaustive exploration of the seven universal energies (and their themes) in a multifaceted way, providing a treasure-trove of knowledge and wisdom for essence to process on the astral and beyond. The enormity of growth obtained through this exploration is comprehensive and profound. Thus, fulfilling all aspects of the journey.

Q: Since they are not completely absorbed, do the earlier incarnations of the astral self remain unevolved, permanently stuck at infant soul levels?

MICHAEL: Past life personalities grow, develop, and follow the trajectory of the most current lifetime. Although the personality once perceived its existence through the lens of an infant soul, it is part of the same soul, and if the current life resonates from an old soul perspective, the earlier personality does in kind. Understand that the growth and accomplishments of a current soul uplifts the others.

Q: It seems that having seven soul clusters per essence seriously complicates connections with the essence twin. How do you reconcile that?

MICHAEL: Remember, the seven soul clusters are all part of the same essence. The soul clusters of essence will align with the soul clusters of the essence twin. Not every essence has an essence twin, but when they do, soul cluster one within an essence's cluster would find its essence twin in soul cluster one of the essence twin's cluster. And the pattern then continues for all seven soul clusters. It seems more complicated than it is.

Q: What influence does a soul cluster have on an incarnate personality?

MICHAEL: The foundational influences of the role, various casting imbuements, and the overleaves still apply and remain front and center. The individual soul clusters are highly beneficial to the growth and development of essence, the entity it returns to, and the Tao. But on a personality level, the soul cluster isn't so much a definable personality trait, such as caution or acceptance, but an influence on the underlying motivations and yearnings felt by the personality during the lifetime, drawing the personality toward specific experiences and themes that align with the core energy of the soul cluster.

To elaborate further, each soul cluster, from one through seven, follows the septenary outlined in Michael math. For example, the first cluster resonates with server energy, the second with artisan energy, the third, warrior energy, and so on. For the personality, depending on which cluster they reside in, this would be like an essential truth for them.

This information, like other traits on a chart, can be channeled.

Q: Before closing, I wanted to mention that a confusing element in the older channeling suggests that the personality is the off-spring of essence and only gets one shot at life. But doesn't this make the idea of karma essentially null and void?

MICHAEL: You are correct. Let's break down reincarnation into two prospects: a one-shot deal vs continuous participation. The soul, with only one shot, has a unique experience but with no connection to what happened before or what's yet to come. Past lives no longer matter. Karma is also irrelevant (and would be grossly unfair) because each life is a new beginning.

In our concept of the astral self, a single soul takes part in multiple lives, bringing forward a wealth of life experiences and potential karma, which is the embodiment of all learning. In this scenario, the soul learns from past mistakes and progresses through a cycle that provides continuous opportunities for growth.

Some of our students may wonder why esence doesn't incarnate into a physical body without the need for an emissary like the astral self. But as we stated earlier, essence is a fragment of the Tao and its quantized energy is too powerful to be easily contained in a physical body. Its consciousness is also too vast and multidimensional to sustain itself for any length of time in the limited confines of physicality. Therefore, using the astral self as an emissary for essence is more efficient and allows for a specific third-dimensional focus through the incarnational vehicle of a single personality or soul.

The Different Cadre Number Systems

Most Michael channels use what is commonly referred to as the traditional cadre numbering system (sometimes called the classic system). I use traditional numbering on my own charts, Shepherd Hoodwin, however, uses his own numbering. Neither system is better than the other.

Since in Cadre Group Two, cadres 4 and 7 are thought to be cycled off, they're not included in the chart below. Note: some channels disagree and claim cadres 4 & 7 are still in the reincarnational cycle, but in small numbers. Sarah Chambers, for instance, channeled Koko, a human soul in the body of a gorilla, in cadre 4; and the actor Boris Karloff in cadre 7. Thus, there may be some stragglers in those entities. Either way, translating the two systems can get a little tricky.

To avoid unnecessary confusion, I have intentionally left out the two cadres left over from Cadre Group One. They are rarely encountered and I have no idea how other channels notate such occurrences. It really isn't standardized. Beyond cadre group two, the numbers continue. Check with your personal channel regarding how they are notated. There may be differences.

Also, the Michael Entity has a teaching agreement with everyone from cadre group two. That means cadres 1 through 12 are ALL Michael students. Unfortunately, there's some myth-making in the community that Michael students should only be in the first couple cadres. That is not the case. It's fairly common these days to see students dispersed in the later cadres. These are the new wave of Michael students coming in. If you see masses of students all bunched into cadre 1 and 2, it's likely an error of channel bias or a mistake. 

Included below is a chart to help decipher the cadre systems.

 

David Gregg

Articles

Cadre/Entity

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Cadres and Entities
Fascinating essay on understanding the structures of our spiritual families.

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Energy Rings and All That Stuff
More information about the cadre structure

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More On Cadres and Entities
Additional thoughts.

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Casting Chart Grid
Use this chart to help you locate your raw number and determine its corresponding global job and community responsibility.

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Detailed Descriptions of the Global Jobs and Community Responsibilities
150 pages of information about the global jobs and community responsibilities, as channeled by JP Van Hulle.

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The Seven Paths of the Soul
A translation of material channeled by Varda Hasselmann, which looks at the unique path of the soul.

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More on Casting and Raw Numbers (off-site)
Further discussion on the casting systems.

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Channeling On Shepherd's Cadre Numbering
Q & A that helps clear up common misunderstandings.

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Entity Definitions
Learn the names of each entity, along with some of their notable attributes and personalities.

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Cadences, Numbers & Casting

• The Soul's Journey
  Explores personality, essence, spark, and casting from the Tao.
  

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• Cadences, Numbers & Casting
  Cadences are configurations of seven souls that, like entities and cadres, stay together for an entire grand cycles.
  

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• Casting & Soul Connections
  Find more about casting.  
  

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• Visualizing the New Casting Model 
  Nice graphic detail.   
  

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• Sentient Structure Theories
  A mathematical breakdown of the sentient species.
  

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• Casting Theories
  Student, Ken Broom, discusses casting as it pertains to global and community tasks.

 

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